Former Red Devil rules out the prospect of ever turning out for City
..Phil Neville insists he could never desert his red roots if the opportunity ever arose to join Manchester City.
The Everton skipper is a product of the famed Manchester United youth academy and made the grade at Old Trafford alongside the likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham and his brother Gary.
He made the difficult decision to turn his back on the Red Devils in 2005, with Everton offering him the opportunity of regular first-team football.
Since then he has been forced to watch from afar as United have continued to dominate English football and their cross-city neighbours have enjoyed a recent reversal in fortunes.
City now have money to burn - and have gone about building a squad expected to challenge for a top four finish this season - but for all their wealth, Neville is adamant that he could never bring himself to represent the blue half of Manchester.
He said: "Joining City is not something that will ever happen. When you have got red blood you cannot see yourself with blue blood.
"You go there and they have blue ketchup... it's just like 'What are they doing? "I am not being disrespectful to City. I grew up a red, hating Manchester City. When I go back with Everton I get absolutely slaughtered. It makes me laugh in a way because I understand what they are feeling. I think it is fantastic as it makes football special."
Neville is hoping to make his long-awaited return from a troublesome knee injury at Old Trafford this Saturday, but the versatile 32-year-old admits he may struggle to persuade David Moyes that he is ready to face his former employers.He added: "It was nine weeks ago on Sunday when the surgeon told me I would be out for 12 weeks.
"Then I looked at the calendar and saw it was ten weeks until United and felt it was fate calling. I thought that would be my comeback game."But as the time has got closer and closer... (I) have still got to overcome so many obstacles. I have managed to start running, kick a ball, twist and turn. But if you are not tackling four days before a Manchester United game it is going to be a miracle to play on Saturday. But you never say never."
WAG OF THE NIGHT - Giorgia Palmas
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Bellamy: I could be finished within two years
Manchester City forward fears he may be forced to hang up his boots because of the physical toll injuries have taken on himTony Barrett Recommend? Craig Bellamy, the Manchester City forward, fears he may be forced to hang up his boots within the next two years because of the physical toll the injuries he has suffered throughout his career have taken on him.
The 30-year-old has struggled with a succession of niggling injuries, particularly to his knees and groin, and the damage that has been done to his body is such that Bellamy is already steeling himself for the possibility of having to retire early from football.
“I know there are not four or five years ahead of me with the injuries I have had,” Bellamy said. “Maybe I have got one or two years at the most. It will be all over before I know it, so I am just enjoying it.”
The forward joined City from West Ham United in January for a fee that could rise to £14 million. He signed a 4½-year contract at the City of Manchester Stadium that is not due to expire until July 2013, but the Wales international is not convinced that his body will stand up to the rigours of top-class football for that long.Only recently, Gianfranco Zola, the West Ham manager, argued that injuries had prevented Bellamy from reaching his full potential, a verdict that has been made to look prescient by the forward’s latest revelations.
“Injuries have been the downside of his career, otherwise he would have been playing for top teams with more consistency,” Zola said. “The fragility he has got in his muscles has stopped him from being a higher player.”
For the time being, though, Bellamy is relishing being part of a City side who have designs on finishing in the top four of the Barclays Premier League despite drawing their past five league matches.The personal high point of his time at City was a virtuoso display against Manchester United in a game his team lost 4-3 despite two goals from Bellamy, who credits Mark Hughes, his manager and former international team-mate, with giving him the kind of platform he needs to perform at his optimum level.
“Everything at Manchester City has gone well for me from start to finish,” Bellamy said. “It is so professional here. The manager is clever — he doesn’t want to give any of the players reason to moan. He makes sure the only thing you have to concentrate on is football. The last few months have given me a huge sense of pride. I think people have seen what I am as a player now.“I’ve always got goals, but am I a one goal in two games player? No, I’m not, but my career has been one in three, which isn’t too bad.” Bellamy was forced to miss Wales’s 3-0 friendly win over Scotland on Saturday because of a groin problem, but he remains hopeful of recovering in time to face Liverpool, his former club, at Anfield tomorrow. Hughes is also confident that Gareth Barry, who came close to joining Rafael Benítez’s side in the summer of 2008, will also be available for selection.
Barry returned from England duty complaining of soreness in his groin and Hughes has admitted that the demands being placed on the former Aston Villa midfield player by club and country will mean he is likely to need resting at some point.
“Gareth came back from his international with a little bit of soreness,” Hughes said. “We’ll have to manage that, and it’s important that we do because there will be certain games where Gareth will be rested.He has a slight problem with his groin but it should not be a problem for the weekend, but looking ahead there will be times when we will look to protect him. We’re mindful of the fact that Gareth has played so much for us and for England already this season. Luckily we have the squad and the players where we can do that, and we want to keep him fresh and well for key games.”
Given cheated by exit
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